Apparently baffled by the figure of 133 million Nigerians living below extreme poverty lines, coupled with records from International Rescue Committee (IRC) which also pointed out that in the first three quarters of 2024, about 32 million Nigerians were exposed to acute hunger, the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has made urgent call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the planned nationwide protest with immediate solution by preventing hunger in the land.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who made the call, in a message sent to LEADERSHIP on Monday, cited the frightening statistics as reason for his call urgent call.
Similarly, Ajaero pointed out that as more people are joining the Labour market on daily basis, the risk of angry and hungry mouths in the country could increase level of insecurity. “The truth is that Nigerians have been hard pushed and super pressed right against the walls of deep deprivation and acute want.”
Thus, as the date for the widely reported national protest looms, NLC again calls on Tinubu to invite the leadership of the protest movement for discussions on their grievances.
Ajaero reiterating his call, said it became imperative in order to forestall the repeat of EndSARs experience that left very bitter and unforgettable experience in many homes.
Claiming that indeed millions of Nigerians are angry based on the state of the national economy, Ajaero noted that “in a situation where most Nigerian families are forced to eat one miserable meal a day and eating from the dustbin is now seen as luxury, beckons for serious intervention by government.
“It is very difficult to tell a Nigerian who has lost his or her job due to the current economic downturn to maintain their cool. It is very tough to advise a nursing mother who is unsure where the next meal for her suckling child is coming from to be at ease. It is a herculean task to demand patience from a youth who has been out of school for the past six years without a job and is burdened with aged parents to cater for.
“During this very difficult times, the right of Nigerians to complain must be fully respected. The Organised Labour movement led by the NLC has had cause in recent times to protest against the crushing suffering in the land brought about by the harsh economic policies of government including the astronomical hike in the price of refined petroleum products,” he said.